The Villages Secret
by DarknessProtector
Summary: The small group come across a village called Neombie. They stay for a night but they won't let them leave in the morning. Now their fighting an unknown battle with the village as Neombie tries to protect their secrete
1. No More What Could Happen's

The Villages Secrete

Chapter 1: No more "what could happen's"

Sango the Taijiya stood on the edge of a large cliff that hung over a vast distance of cool clear water. Waves crashed against sharp jagged rocks that stuck up from the white puffy fluffs of foam. Giant trees with there autumn colored leaves surround Sango from the back. The leaves of gold, red, and brown flew away from their homes of thick branches and plummeted to the ground or fluttered their way to the restless water. Big black birds circled overhead waiting for a chance to dive to the water and rip out their evening meal of a nice fat glistening fish. A soft breeze blew kicking up crunchy leaves from the ground and swaying the long still meadow green grass and the little purple flowers below Sango's feet.

The wind caught her hair and pulled it forward in it's grasp so she could smell the essence of her long locks. The swaying grass and flowers tickled her calves and the backs of her knees right through her green knitted skirt. The waves crashed again at the cliff spraying Sango with a light mist of cold and wetness, making her shiver slightly though it did not make her move. If anything it made her want to stay. The look of this place, the feel of this place, even the _smell_ of this place was amazingly peaceful. Unfortunately, Sango hadn't had much peace in her life for a while now. At the moment, though, everything was hushed.

There was a small "mew" from below her and Sango tore her gaze from the view to her feet. There stood her small little cat-demon Kirara, staring up at her with big cute red eyes. Smiling, Sango leaned down to lift the small kitty off her feet and to her shoulder where the cat sat down contently. Though in spite of being in her favorite spot, Kirara "mew"ed softly in her mistresses ear to get her attention again. Looking down at her little kitten, Sango cast her a questioning look. Kirara turned her head to behind them in response.

Turning slowly, Sango then looked off into the distance toward the trees that had been facing her back that now had her undivided attention. Kagome the futuristic priestess stood just beyond the tree line with a wistful smile on her face. She stepped forward, her short green skirt swaying in the breeze. The future priestess finally made her way fully to the taijiya and stood silently watching out toward the horizon. Blinking her brown eyes, she then turned her wistful look to the older girl that stood beside her.

"This is beautiful," Kagome whispered to her as if trying not to ruin the rhythm of all nature's sounds going on around the three.

The Taijiya nodded in response. It _was_ beautiful. The atmosphere shading around them was just so calming and peaceful. If every place were this amazing then everything might not be so dense and overwhelming as it seemed to always be now-a days. But right now the two girls were utterly immune to the horrible thoughts of the past few months they had spent together. Until a soul sucking battle cry erupted from the forest behind them.

Damn

A humongous caterpillar demon burst through the trees, showering the two girls with splinters of bark and dried leaves. Sango studied the demon for a moment. It looked a little different than most caterpillar demons. The blood red eyes and green and yellow patterns that ran down its back were all normal but it seemed to have a few extra suction-cup feet. She wasted no time moving protectively in front of the young priestess as the bug inched nearer. It hadn't seemed to notice them yet, a good thing because Sango had not brought along her weapons to such a serene place. InuYasha the half demon and Miroku the holy monk came only seconds later with a little Shippo the fox demon on their tail.

InuYasha, with his trustworthy weapon Tetsusaiga drawn, slashed furiously at the caterpillar's eye's trying to blind the creature to make a quick takedown.

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried out from behind the slayer as soon as she spotted the half-ling.

"Shush!" Sango angrily hissed. The demon hadn't noticed them yet and she was weaponless for the moment. There was no need for the girl to make reason for the demon to attack. They always go for the weak ones first, and right now _they _were the weakest. It seemed that InuYasha had her Hirokutsu weapon strapped to his back. At the moment it was useless to try and ask him for it. He would only get hurt if he got distracted now and would also earn her a good scolding for interrupting during his attack.

Unfortunately, InuYasha _and _the caterpillar heard Kagome's shrill call to the young half demon. InuYasha turned his head toward the cries source and the demon swung it's back end around, knocking him sideways and into a pile of fallen trees that were tossed aside when the demon had demanded it's way through the forest. The caterpillar raced forward toward the two stunned girls.

"A shard," Kagome whispered. "It has a shard of the Shikon jewel in its eye."

Great, now she whispers. Wait what was that? A shard of the Shikon jewel? If it has one it must want more. Kagome! It's after _her_!

"Kirara, take Kagome away from here now!" Sango shouted. Her pet quickly complied, turning into her larger more elaborate form, she plucked Kagome from the ground with her teeth as if she were nothing but a infant and flew into the blue cloudless skies above. Making a point that no one was getting Kagome without a fight. She looked around. Miroku was now running off in the direction Kirara and Kagome were flying off in with little Shippo on his shoulder. Good, now the only one to worry about was InuYasha who had yet to peal himself from the fallen logs and trees. All of a sudden something grasped her calves and ripped her upward. She bumped her head on the ground as her feet were pulled right out from under her. Little dots swirled her vision for a moment, then a sharp stabbing pain went through her legs and to the top of her head. She looked up. The demon was holding her in it's thousands of thin razor sharp teeth, had her dangling helpless by her own body. It's huge blood red eyes stared at her. She was done for.

Wait! Kagome said there was a shard of the Shikon in one of the creature's eyes. Well Sango wasn't completely weaponless, she still had her fists. She grabbed hold of one of the teeth encasing her legs and pulled herself up as far as she could. Gods it hurt, hurt like hell! But she had to do it. She had to reach that eye.

Once close enough Sango pulled her hand back and straightened all her fingers so that her nails pointed forward. Then, she swung her hand forward and in one swift motion plunged her hand deep into the demons eye. Now, the once blood red eye was _really_ covered with dripping warm blood. Since the caterpillar didn't have eyelids it couldn't blink away the awful irritation that Sango had created. Her fingers touched something small and hard; she put her hand around it and ripped her clenched fist from the inners of the eye. The demon roared out in pain and agony as soon as Sango ripped the only thing keeping it alive from were it was placed, though it still wouldn't remove it's sharp pearls from her legs. It swung its head from side to side and Sango felt herself start to slide inward closer to the demons teeth. Now instead of holding her calves the caterpillar's teeth carved into her thighs. Finally, Sango aloud herself to moan out in pain. The demon was dieing, it wasn't going to live long enough to tell how he had made a Taijiya cry out in suffering.

The demon caterpillar let out one less yell of distress as it slowly turned to dust starting at the back end and up to its head. Only then was Sango released. Gravity over took and the Taijiya fell from her high footage above the ground. _Oh! Here comes more pain!_ Sango thought and closed her eyes ready for impact. But she landed on something that made an "oomph" and wasn't as hard as the rocky ground below. She opened her eyes and looked up into the bright golden orbs of InuYasha's eyes. Somehow he'd run fast enough to snag her into a bridal style hold before she met her immanent doom. Sango let out a sigh of relief and leaned her head back slightly and closing her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them after a quick few seconds and opened her hand that held a sparkling purple shard on her palm. She closed her hand and put it to her chest. She could hear her own rigged panting and the furious beating of her heart.

Talk about an adrenaline rush.

"What t-took you so long—so long," Sango tried to talk between breaths. She closed her eyes again and leaned her heavy head sideways and onto InuYasha's chest. It seemed like her body wasn't getting enough oxygen to function properly.

"Hit the ground a little too hard a blacked out for a little bit," InuYasha answered gruffly. Obviously he didn't like the idea that a demon slammed him hard enough to make him pass out. "You should have gone with back with the others. Would have been safer."

Sango smiled with her tired eyes still closed. "Please, then who else would the demon of had to pick on," she joked. Though they both knew it wasn't a joking matter. When he said nothing, she opened her heavy lids to look at him. He was staring down at her with disgusted look on his face, as if she had really meant what she said with all seriousness. She sighed and closed her eyes again; the half demon never could take a joke. "I was kidding. Besides if I would have went off with everyone else then the demon surly would have followed. You were nowhere in sight and it would have thought that you had left with us; caterpillar demons aren't that smart you know. Now _you _have my Hirokotsu I would have gotten tossed around anyway."

"Yeah, but with them you wouldn't have gotten swooped up and throw around _this _badly! If I hadn't caught you, you would have broken your neck!"

That was it! No more arguing! Sango snapped upward and rolled herself out of InuYasha's arms, landed on the hard ground. It probably wasn't the best idea but it got the stubborn half demon's attention. She tried not to cry out as she stood on her two pain exhausted legs. At the moment, she didn't even want to _think_ about the bloody mess they must look like.

Gross.

"If, InuYasha. If, if, if, if, _if_! Instead of 'if you hadn't' how about 'you _did_'? You _did_ catch me. I _didn't _break my neck. But all you can think of is the stupid 'what ifs'." I am sick of always thinking about what could've happened instead of what _did_ happen! That's all I ever hear now! What if, what if!" she stamped her foot to the ground creating a dry ring of dust around herself. The force of her foot to the ground shot pain up through her leg and to the top of her head. Her quaking knees started to buckle beneath her from the douse of pain that went through her. And for the second time that day she fell and was caught by her armpits from the same pair of strong arms that had caught her from her first fall.

"Fine," he said quietly. "No more 'what ifs'."

She looked up at him, completely in shock. She had never _ever_ heard InuYasha give up on an argument _so_ quickly. Another different shock came only seconds later as he lifted her from the ground and into his arms a second time.

"And no more standing for you. Kagome'll have my head if I let you walk all the way back to the village. I doubt you could do it anyway in the condition your in," he mumbled the last part as if she wouldn't be able to hear it.

"Hey! I could if you let me try!"

He cocked a skeptical eyebrow and started running anyway. Sango looked over InuYasha's shoulder and back at the place she had once thought was so beautiful. The long grass and tiny purple flowers were now all pushed down and crushed. Pieces of wood and logs scattered throughout the clearing. All the birds from above had disappeared. Everything was caked with demon blood and other various bodily fluids. The once serene place now looked like an ancient battleground! Who would have thought that one fight with one demon could do such damage? "I highly doubt that."

"I could!"

"Without _any_ help?"

She said nothing. InuYasha own this round but she had own the first.


	2. A Village Called Neombie

Chapter 2: A Village Called Neombie

"Oh Sango, you should have come back with us!" Kagome said again for what seemed like the millionth time as she dipped a pale yellow washcloth into a small silver bowl that sat next to her in the grass. She dabbed at the Taijiya's legs delicately but Sango still winced in pain. They were alone so the Taijiya felt no need to hide what she was feeling. The young priestess wasn't one to tell others about someone's feelings unless it was really important to someone.

The young half demon InuYasha had immediately taken Sango to Kagome for medical help, then left before the Taijiya had a chance to say thank you. The priestess had taken ready action, already have been expecting a wound to patch up. Though she was expecting the young half demon to be the one that needed patching up. Never the less the younger girl had asked Sango to take off her boots and shin armor then to roll up her black slayer suit's legs so she could reach the wounds beneath them.

It had gotten a bit darker and windier by the time she and InuYasha had caught up to the others. Several times Kagome had to chase bandages from her medical kit around in circles in the dried up autumn brown grass as the wind caught them. Of course Sango couldn't help. She was in no condition to be running around; even her stubborn ol' self knew that. Even if she did know that, she couldn't help the feeling of uselessness that started to form as she sat there in the itchy grass while Kagome ran around trying to catch up with her supplies.

"Kagome…. if I had come with you than that demon would have followed. It's better that _I_ got hurt instead of someone more important. Like you or InuYasha or Miroku…. and Shippo's just a child. How horrible would that have been if he had been the one to get hurt?" Sango then trailed off into her own thoughts. It was defiantly for the better that _she_ had gotten hurt, wasn't it?

Kagome pushed down on her swollen shin, shooting a lightening of pain up through Sango's leg to the top of her head. Though in the process Kagome had gained the Taijiya's angry attention. The priestess scowled back just as fiercely. "How can you say such things Sango? You are just as important to the rest of the group as me, InuYasha, or Miroku!" One thing Kagome was _not_ going to do is sit back and let Sango take on everything for the group. They were _one_ team. Why did Sango always have to make things more difficult for herself while trying to make things easier for everyone else? The Taijiya really needs to start worrying about herself a little bit more than she is.

The Taijiya stood, towering above the younger girl sitting in the brownish colored grass. "Your kidding right? You're a priestess! You can see the Shikon shards when no one else can. You have sacred powers! InuYasha, he has the Tetsusaiga. He's a strong half demon that defeats more full fledge demons then that of a regular demon could! Miroku is a holy monk! He has the holy staff! Me, I'm a _regular women_! Just born and raised in an exterminator's village! That's it! There's nothing more to me than a Hirokutsu! And your trying to say I'm just as important as _everyone else_!" Unsure of what came over herself that had just caused her to explode on the poor girl in front of her, Sango looked down into Kagome's saddened face. The girl knew that the Taijiya had a point and couldn't think of anyway to argue. Sango sighed, she hadn't known that all of that was true until it had come out of her mouth. "I-I'm sorry Kagome. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just…. the truth. And you know it is too." There was a small pause as the two girls silently battled the thoughts in their own heads. They looked at each other both with saddened looks in each of their brown eyes. "I'll be back later Kagome. Umm, I think I need to be alone for a moment."

"No!" Kagome blurted out. Why, why, why did Sango have to make comments that nobody could argue with? They all knew that Sango was important, even stubborn InuYasha knew it. Though hardly anyone could tell. But still! The Taijiya should not doubt that she is lesser than anyone. She doesn't take that kind of stuff from anyone, why in the world should she take it from herself? "Sango please, just listen! Your not—"

"Save it!" Sango hollered without thinking about whom she was talking to. The priestess with the fragile feelings. Oh! How could she forget who she was talking to? The girl was probably half way to tears by now. But looking back all she could see was Kagome now standing facing her with pitying eyes. Great, now she was getting pity instead of tears! Gods, _anything _would have been better than pity. "Stop that. Please, don't give me pity. I'll be back…. later." Kagome didn't bother to argue as the saddened Taijiya turned her back to her and walked out into the woods.

Sango walked quietly, rapped up in her own thoughts. There was nothing more that she wanted to do right now than to lay down and go to sleep. But she had to keep going. She had to clear her head before she went back so she didn't wined up screaming at another one of her friends. So with quaking legs she traveled on.

As she kept moving more and more tree's seemed to be at a loss with leaves. The wind kept blowing in freezing unexpected flows, rattling the branches and sweeping the dried crumpled leaves at her feet. The sky was getting darker and darker with every minute. The bright almost full moon started to show in the sky as the sun calmly started to set for the night. It left bright colors of orange, purple, and pink and turned the clouds and tree's a dark blue. The hue of the forest started to get creepy as the night kept rolling in. The birds stopped twittering, the scuffle and shuffle of other animals completely stopped. It was as if someone had shut a door, blocking out all sounds. A few minutes passed and the sun completely disappeared. Taking all of the vibrant colors and light along with it. Now, the Taijiya was left in darkness. With nothing but the moon's light and exterminator senses to guide her.

She tripped several times in the terrible lighting of the forest at night. Easily opening the gashes in her legs a little wider, for, Kagome hadn't finished dressing them. The wounds never did stop bleeding, now they seemed to be trying to make another ocean for the world. Blood was dripping down her legs in little rivers of red and splattering on the ground or sliding down to her bare aching feet. Sango tripped on a tree root though this time she wasn't able to function quick enough to catch herself before she fell to the ground. She lay there for a moment. Her body seemed to be shutting down by itself. But she couldn't stay here! Being a wounded human in the forest at night was _not_ something she wanted to be right now. There are always demons at this hour of night out and about in the woods. And she, oh, _she_ was an easy target for any of them right now. She had to move. She had to at least get out of the forest.

Sango forced herself to her hands and knees. Her whole body shook with effort and pain. The roots of the tree she had tripped over were digging themselves into her bloodied shins. _Get up. Get up!_ Sango mentally hollered at herself. The Taijiya sat up and wobbled slightly before latching onto a low branch of the tree that had knocked her to the ground. With as much effort as her body would allow, she pulled her self to her feet using all of her arms muscles and strength. Her knees kept wanting to buckle beneath her. Every time she tried to let go of that branch everything started to collapse. It seemed like the lower half of her body shut off. It was only a matter of time before everything else shut down as well from either lack of blood, or pain, or need for sleep.

The dark lumps of trees started to move in and out, in and out then they swirled together. Sango closed her eyes and leaned her head against the branch that she clung to for balance. She could feel her head pounding and her wounded legs pulsing out of protest. Why did it seem that her whole body was trying to do the opposite of what she wanted it to do? She heard herself let out a quiet unwanted groan. Whether it was from frustration or pain she didn't know. All she knew was that if she didn't get moving soon she was going to wine up demon chow. Not something a professional demon exterminator wants to die from.

"Damn it Sango, you idiot!" a loud harsh voice shouted out from behind her. For some reason it sent her ears into ringing and buzzing noises. Why wasn't anything working properly?

She turned toward the voice but not moving anything else but her head and eyes. InuYasha the half demon stood behind her, scolding her as hard as he could. That was all she noticed before her vision swirled again causing her eyes to shut unwillingly. "What are you doing out here so late? Where are the others," Sango whispered. Her voice sounded funny or maybe it was just her ears not working correctly. She turned back around and rested her pulsing head on the rough bark of the tree branch she was hooked to.

"Looking for you! Kagome didn't tell me until the sun was about to set that you had run off. She just said that you had gone to do some thinking. Well, how can you _think_ when your half out of it, running through the forest, bleeding!" he hollered. Gods he needed to stop yelling, her body was going to start going into spasms if he kept screaming at her.

"Stop," she whispered so low InuYasha with his sharp demon hearing had to strain to hear what she had said. "Stop yelling. My body can't handle it."

"Kay," InuYasha pronounced as he always did in his normal tone. She heard the shuffle of his robe as he crossed his arms at her. It was amazing how one simple change of tone relaxed her body a little more.

"Thank you," she mumbled. A few seconds later she felt the hands and fingers that held her upright start to uncurl themselves. _No. No, no, no!_ Sango screamed inside her head. She was _not_ going to fall down and pass out.

Panicking. Never a good thing for _anyone_ to do.

Sango's already crazed nerves seemed to go even nuttier! Her head bolted up and her eye's shot open and with one swift force she pushed herself away from the branch steadying her.

Ouch, whiplash!

Everything tilted and bobbed around, it felt like her brain had come loose inside her skull. Things moved in and out, blacked away and came back, and swirled together. Her eyelids pushed together so hard they seemed like they would tear. Her knee's knocked together and started to buckle. Gravity overtook and she fell backward, not even thinking of the ground knocking against her back, she was to exhausted to think about it. There was no need to anyway. She felt the whoosh of air as she fell then she landed quickly and softly into a pair of arms. The only other person who was there was InuYasha as far as she knew. But, why would he help her? A minute ago it seemed he was pretty upset with her. Usually if someone had upset the half demon he would ignore him or her and let him or her take what was coming to them. She felt her body being pulled up into a lying down position in the very same arms that had caught her. Cool air hit her warming face and burned her wounds. InuYasha was taking her somewhere.

She sat up in his arms and painfully opened her eyes, hoping the face she was looking for wasn't going to be a swirl of colors. "Where are we going?"

"You need help. I'm taking you to a nearby village where we are to meet the others anyway," he replied in a gruff voice. He was still angry with her. She could feel it in the way he was holding her. All of his muscles were tense and his eyes were hard as they stared ahead carefully avoiding looking at her.

"What village?"

"A village called Neombie."

"Oh. Why—"

"Quiet! You're going to strain yourself more than you need to. Just-just go to sleep or something," he growled to her, still facing ahead. God's she hated how angry he was with her. It seemed to be best to try and please him by not arguing.

Sango nodded obediently. She put her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest. "InuYasha," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

That was all it took. InuYasha's entire body relaxed. He looked down at her with his golden eyes and she closed her own chocolate brown ones. Everything was defiantly drained, physically and mentally. She felt the half demons strong arms tighten around her slightly. "Your welcome."


	3. Broken Forever?

_Hi! Sorry I took so long with this new Chapter. It was either I was busy doing something else or school got in the way or I was just plain to lazy and tired to type. I hope you like it! Don't forget that I don't own InuYasha! He own's me! Haha! _

"That's right! Now get your butt of stage and let the people read the damn story!"

* * *

Chapter 3: Broken Forever?

The first rays of morning sunshine sparkled across the closed lids of the young Taijiya's eyes, pulling her from the darkness of her sleeping trance. Slowly, her deep brown eyes opened little by little at a time. A swirl and whirl of colors and shapes exploded right before her, then they all clipped into the right places and became one. A small, unrecognizable, round face of a young girl was the first focus that came. The girl's big luminous brown eyes shone beautifully in the first yellow rays of sunlight that cast itself through a large window that sat low right next to the two. Pieces of the young child's silky, deep raven colored hair floated across her rosy pink cheeks and tiny pierced ears. She pushed a piece behind her ear, the lock caught her large golden hoop earring but she did nothing but simply let the long strand fall back into it's last position.

Sango sat up with no trouble at all. She felt so much better than last night when she was half way out of it running through the forest. The young child's small gasp rang in the Taijiya's ears; she turned toward the unknown girl with question playing across her face. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." Sango looked around, nothing was correct. Nothing looked like elder Kaede's old hut. Everything was much…. larger and…. just different. Sango turned her attention back to the young one that had not said a thing yet she just sat there staring at her as if she had woken from the dead. "Um, excuse me, but…. where am I?" she asked quietly so as not to startle the girl with the sudden sound of her voice.

"You-you are in a village called Neombie. Your friend—the half demon with the red robes—brought you here. You have lost a lot of blood. No one was expecting you to wake up yet," the girl said quietly. Somehow she found ways of not looking at her directly in the eye. They would always drift to the floor or off to the side of Sango's face.

Though, even if the young one was refusing to acknowledge her own brown eyes, Sango gently put her hand out and tipped the girls round face up to hers so she had no choice but to look at her. "What is your name, darling?" the Taijiya asked. She was trying to loosen the poor shy little girl that still only sat staring up at her.

"M-my name? Um…."

"Come now, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Amaya. What is yours miss?" She seemed to relax a bit after telling her name.

"Mine is Sango."

"Nice to meet you miss Sango!" Amaya said excitedly, just as a young child such as herself should be. "Um, I assume you will be wanting to see your friend? Shall I go fetch him for you? I don't think your quit ready to be up and about."

It was only then did Sango realize that she had forgotten about the InuYasha. He had taken her here but wasn't there when she had awaken like he may have been. At least he would have been if she were Kagome. That was probably where he was! With Kagome and the others. "Would you? That would be nice if you could," the Taijiya said to Amaya with a small smile.

Amaya flashed a perfect straight white-toothed smile from between her thin pink lips and stood. Finally Sango got a full view of the young child. She was tall for someone so young, about four foot five and only seemed to be around the ages of eight or nine maybe ten years old. Her shiny darkness mass of hair reached longer than the Taijiya had expected. It flowed in one diving waterfall over her shoulder blades, down her back, across her waist, and tailed the very middle part of her thigh. The long locks were held together with a single white ribbon that doubled knotted to keep from sliding down any further than she wanted it too. She wore a kimono of different shades of blue. It started out with a few blue petals of flowers at the top then there got to be more and more till they reached the very bottom of the kimono were the petals turned into little blue roses. The sleeves were long and dropped down further then InuYasha's red fire rat robe and had light blue lace carefully and skillfully woven at the edges.

Amaya is so beautiful.

Sango stared after Amaya as she moved the black cloth covering the doorway from the outside world and slipped soundlessly out. _How can anyone be so beautiful?_ Sango thought with envy etching into her bones. She bobbed her head back and forth, driving the dizziness back into her skull and removing the jealousy that had crept up on her unexpectedly as soon as she had seen Amaya and all her beauty. Any man would be lucky to have that girl when she comes to her marrying age.

The Taijiya's thoughts of envy and jealousness of young Amaya were interrupted by the cloth being thrown roughly aside. It was defiantly not Amaya from the rough force used on such a light delicate thing. The mystery person stepped out further into the large room revealing the blank faced honey-golden eyed half demon of InuYasha. He casually placed his hands into the sleeves of his red robes and walked slowly over to were Sango sat, looking carefully around as he went.

"We weren't expecting you to be awake yet," InuYasha said, in that matter-of-fact tone that he has. Sensing no demonic era and finding everything to liking, the half demon sat down at the edge of the low bed that the Taijiya rest upon and looked her quietly over. He quirked an interested eyebrow and leaned down to finger her kimono. Scoffing but smiling softly he pulled away and pushed his once free hands into the long folds of his robe again. "Nice attire."

"Wha—" Sango started but never finished as she looked down at herself. She was in a different outfit then her old kimono and skirts that she had never noticed until InuYasha so kindly pointed it out. The kimono was a soft pink with large red roses tiny and cherries decorating it. Matching red ribbons wove in and out of the slightly dropping sleeves and tied off tightly in a long thin bow. "Wow," Sango whispered, but by the way the young half demons ears twitched he'd heard her quiet cry of shock. "I'd never noticed it until you mentioned it. It must be Amaya's."

"Amaya?" InuYasha questioned as he tried out the name seeing whether he liked it or not as he tilted his head curiously to the side.

"Hmm? Oh! Amaya's the young girl that came and got you. The one with the blue kimono."

Nodding his reply, InuYasha turned his head to stare out the window that sat next to them. They watched in silence as the early risers of the village people started their morning chores. The baby children that were much to young to work tailed their parents around, trying to be of any help but wound up being more annoying than helpful. The teenaged women washed the dirty loose articles of clothing and gently hung them securely on a line that ran along the side of the hut. The young men got the heavier work of chopping the morning wood while either the smaller children that were able to do some work, carried the split logs into their homes then appeared again for another armload. Mothers sewed clothing torn clothing and watched after the young ones. Fathers rummaged about, collecting various items from gardens and other places to go into the middle of town and sell.

It looked so nice outside the hut. Sango had the sudden urge to get up and go out in the morning sun.

There was a stumble and a small squeak that interrupted the quiet hue of the hut, then a clatter as something fell through the cloth blocking the door to the outside world. Something small but it moved quickly. Next thing the Taijiya knew, she was smacked in the chest with the small figure.

"Sango! Sango! Are you okay? InuYasha said you got hurt!" There sat the ever-worried little Shippo with his big bright green eyes.

The girl didn't get the chance to answer, cause then Kagome the priestess and Miroku the Monk barreled in. They almost tripped over one another and knocked heads together as the tried to balance themselves out again.

"I didn't realize there was another step there," the young priestess said, clapping a hand to her temple where she and the monk and bonked heads.

"I noticed," Miroku said with a smile on his face as he rubbed delicately at his forehead where it had met Kagome's temple.

They both laughed and were suddenly startled by InuYasha's grunt of annoyance. "We're right here. Humans are so clumsy," the half demon huffed irritably.

Kagome scowled. "Sit boy," she said, expressing her disapproval of what the half demon had said with her famous little punishment of plowing the boy's face into the ground. Still no matter how hard InuYasha tried to convince her that he didn't need it she always found a reason to tell that made him keep it on. Not that he had much of a choice. Sango had always thought it was a little harsh but it kept the boy straight. So—

Ground meet face, face _ground_!

Somehow, InuYasha managed to quickly lean forward just enough so that he landed on the floor and not on the bed. Actually it was kind of considerate of him, considering that if he _had_ landed on the bed it probably would have broke in two from the fierce impact. The room quaked slightly from the force but not as bad as everyone had expected. _And_ the command hadn't broken the wooden floor. Now, hopefully the half demon hadn't broken his _nose._

Kagome's eyes slowly slid from the half demon on the floor to the Taijiya on the bed. Her eyes softened to what they had been when she had first bounded through the door with Miroku. She walked slowly over, carefully avoiding the face-planted InuYasha, and finally sat at the edge of the bed close to Sango's hip. "How you doing Sango?" Kagome asked in that motherly tone she has when someone in the group was either hurt or sick or in need of some sympathy.

"I'm just fine guys," Sango laughed slightly.

"Well, somebody's been worried about you," the priestess said in a little singsong voice.

Just then Kirara bounded out from behind the younger girl and took a spot next to Shippo on her blanket-covered lap. Sango grinned from ear-to-ear and picked the small demon kitten up and rubbed noses with her. The demon purred in joy and rolled her rough damp tongue across the Taijiya's nose in an affectionate way as if to say 'I was worried about you'.

"There was no need to worry so much. It was just a few leg wounds. No big deal," Sango announced making a flicking motion over her shoulder for emphasis.

At once, everyone's heads downcast. Even InuYasha, who had finally pealed himself from kissing the ground any longer, couldn't look her directly in the eye. "You didn't tell her yet," Kagome whispered into her lap. It wasn't a question it was more like a 'oh duh' type of reply.

"No," InuYasha surprisingly answered the girl. "I was about too." Finally the half demons eyes hardened on Kagome. "I _told_ you not to come until _I _came _back _and got _you_!"

"Oh! So, you're blaming this on me? _You_ were supposed to tell her!"

"I can't do that right out of the blue! I was going to take a minute and tell her _slowly_. I highly doubt she's going to take this _lightly_."

"Of course she won't! But you don't need to stall!"

"Who said I was stalling? I was only here for a few minutes!"

"Guys! Stop it _now_!" Sango screamed at the top of her lungs. All went silent. It even sounded as if everyone stopped breathing. "Now, would you _please_ tell me what is needed to tell me? I don't care who was supposed to do what! Just—what is it? What's wrong with me? Or someone! Or—or _whoever_ your all bickering about!"

No one moved for what seemed like forever. The Taijiya looked each of them in the eye even though they tried to look away. Kagome's brown orbs held deep sadness and was that pity? Miroku's deep blue irises held sympathy. Even InuYasha's usually hard honey golden eyes flicked over her at a loss.

Miroku was the first to step forward. Ah, ever the good holy Monk. He would surely tell her. "Sango…. umm…. I know you're a Taijiya and like to be able to move quickly and…. well you won't be able to do that for a while. Maybe forever," Miroku mused stalling no doubt.

"Get to the point!"

"Damn it Sango! Both of your legs are broken!" InuYasha yelled stepping closer to her and throwing his clawed hands in the air. "_Badly _broken. You ran and walked for hours on broken legs! That Amaya kid says that since you did that it could mean that you won't be able to walk correctly forever!"

Panic struck Sango from all sides! _No_! was all she could think. _No, no, no, __no_! She ripped the covers from her lower body. Kagome shot up from the bedside in surprise, as the blanket was pulled out from underneath her in Sango's frantic rush. Next thing Sango did was tightly grasp the edge of Amaya's rosy pink kimono. She was about to pull that from her way as well but was stopped by a gentle hand on hers. She looked up to who dare stop her from seeing what she had to see. InuYasha's bang's covered his eyes and his grip on her hand tightened.

"Don't. Don't you dare. You're still in shock from what we just told you. You're…. not ready to see yet."

"Yes I am! I have to know what happened!" Sango argued, her voice cracked, she knew she was going to burst into tears any minute. But she had to know. Had to see what was so horrible that even InuYasha didn't want her to look at yet. Though she did not dare try to move her hand under his firm grip.

"No! You don't have to know yet! You _can't _know yet! It's just going to make it worse if you see what happened immediately after we tell you something bad happened to you! Maybe tomorrow or something, but not now!"

"Please—"

"_No_!" then he sighed. She thought he was going to give up, when he looked at her. Really, sternly looked at her. "It's bad Sango. Really bad."

She felt her hand below his ball into a tight fist. She pulled her head forward so that her bang's covered her tearing up eyes. Finally, warm rivers started to drip down her cheeks as reality hit full force again. Her friends were just trying to protect her from feeling worse than she was now. No matter what they were doing though, the thought of never being able to walk or run correctly again scared her. How could a Taijiya not be able to run? This happening she would fail in being able to help defeat Naraku and saving her brother. She would let her tribe down for not being able to caring out in being one of the last demon slayers.

Kagome put an arm around her shoulders and Miroku sat down on the floor with a sigh. InuYasha kneeled down on the floor, never letting go of her cold hand on the way down. Actually it seemed to tighten even more around hers. She felt the need to shift her tight fists away from the hem of Amaya's kimono before she did something stupid. Sango unclenched her fists and turned the one that InuYasha's clawed hands were holding down, upward and grasped the half demons warm hand.

* * *

_Thank you for reading this newbie writer's story! Now take pity on this newbie writer again and review for me please. I'll make another chapter quicker if you do! _

*InuYasha draggs away from stage* "Shut up! You get reviews when you earn 'em! Stop begging and get your butt to your computer and start writing!"

_But--_

"NOW!"


End file.
